Accounting AS/A2

The Accounting courses both at AS and A2 are not just for students who wish to become accountants but are also relevant for any student wishing to gain an appreciation of the importance of financial management in business.

Students from all different career paths have chosen to take accounting including Business Management, Lawyers, Dentists, Doctors and especially in areas where traditionally students set up their own business - for example, Art and Design.

It is also a very popular subject with students studying mathematics, or students who enjoy working with numbers but do not like solving equations!

The college has close links with KPMG, Ernst Young and local accountants Clarke Nicklin.

Course Outline

4 units – 2 for AS level and 2 for A2 level. Each AS unit contributes 50% to the final AS grade and 25% to the final A2 grade. There is no coursework.

AS Level

AS Level Accounting consists of 2 units-

• Introduction for Financial Accounting - develops an understanding of double entry bookkeeping, verification techniques and completion of  Income Statements and Balance Sheets for sole traders.
• Financial and Management Accounting - introduces students to some of the ways in which financial accounting can provide valuable information for measuring and monitoring business performance and planning future business operations including final accounts of limited companies, budgeting and ratio analysis.

Examinations are taken in June. Successful completion of AS allows progression to A2.

A2 Level

At A2 level you will study the following additional units-

• Further Aspects of Financial Accounting – develops understanding of financial techniques which can be applied where a business does not maintain a complete accounting system and looks at the ways businesses can raise finance. Students also look at partnership accounts and published accounts of limited companies in detail.
• Further Aspects of Management Accounting – develops further accounting techniques to aid the management of business and contribute to effective decision making, e.g. manufacturing accounts and costing methods.